Eat Your Spinach!!

[Bea]

You've just gotta be persistant. Offer veggies daily until they try something. Have you tried wetting a bit of broccoli and then rolling it in some seed so the seed sticks between the broccoli bits? A lot of people find that works. Or you could steam some veggies (sweet potato, carrot, broccoli, pumpkin) and mash them all together and add a little seed. Your budgies may try to pick out the seed and find they like the taste of the veggies. :)

Just a warning, don't feed very much spinach. There's something in it that stops calcium absorbtion which isn't something we want happening to our birdies. :P

[dd_bahama]

yikes! Thats good to know about the spinach. I'll try the brocolli thing in the morning.. thanks Bea!!

[softie]

When I tried giving my budgies veggies, I had broccoli, carrots, celery, cucumber and apples.
I cut each food item into four equal parts. I steamed one part of each, diced another part, mashed another part, and cut the last parts into solid sticks.
I put them all in a paper plate seperated (not mixed)

This helped me figure out which type of cooking my budgies favored. It took me a while to get them to actually taste the veggies but it was very well worth the work.

Another way I got my budgies to eat their greens is by letting them taste dark leafed lettuce. I know that lettuce should not be given because they have no nutritional value for the budgies, but it is also unharmful, so lettuce is a great starter veggie.
Let them taste the lettuce for about a day or two and replace the lettuce with a green veggie, such as spinach, zuchini, broccoli, etc.
This is how I got my lil one Grace to eat green veggies and is now taking on other veggies as well.

And as Bea has mentioned earlier, spinach should not be given regularly because it has oxalic acid, which absorbs calcium.

[dd_bahama]

Okay, so i've tried everything now! Rolling the veggies in millet... they wont touch it! idk what to do anymore :(

[pal0m1n0]

Have you tried eating it in front of them. The may get curious enough to try it themselves when you show that you like it. The soak mix seems to be popular with the birds. You didn't mention corn, did you try that? See if they might like to roll around in wet lettuce, they may start eating it while they roll. Rice is another popular food.

My birds really don't seem to go for fruit so I haven't been bothering with it, other than to offer some when I eat it. I stick to carrot, soak mix, corn and seed as the daily staples. Rice when we have some cooked. Sometimes I put in fresh parsley or oregano from my herb basket. Other than that I offer different foods when we have them. They will eat the various kinds of lettuce and spinach.

Softie has some good ideas for introducing food. My vet had suggested removing the seed during the day and putting it back at night.

But I found once I offered the soax mix they really cut down on their seed consumption. They still will not eat pellets though.

I hope I have given you some suggestions you haven't thought of or tried yet. :)

[Budgiekin]

Another key to getting your budgie to eat veggies and other new foods is to be persistent! Offer them those foods daily, even if they don't touch it!

[DementedLullaby]

Just a warning, don't feed very much spinach. There's something in it that stops calcium absorbtion which isn't something we want happening to our birdies. :P

Yes spinach does this but did you know broccolli can do this also? It has some of the same chemicals as spinach that inhibits calcium growth.

The more you know ~_^

[Joey]

Actually all greens can stop calcium absorbition...and parsley has a chemical that can harm budgies if fed to much. Greens are healthy though, don't stop feeding them they are good I think fruits are just as important I feed more fruits than vegetables and greens.:D

[redgirl]

Interesting, thanks Demented lullaby and Joey for info x

[vicks080]

my bird eats its own poop

[BirdieBabi]

Maybe because it thinks it's a seed??

Pretty random how you posted that! Sooner or later I'm sure that he'll smarted up and realize what he's eating. (Plus, just because we might think it's gross, animals, like your budgie, could be getting something out of it!:p )

[Amber]

lol, at the poop thing. yeah, some do that. try to discourage it by offering better alternatives and cleaning the cage often. Also ensure it's no deficiency by keeping a mineral block and cuttlebone in the cage.

Interesting, I actually didn't know about the calcium absorption issue--it can't be much of a big deal though, as long as it's not given too often. Of course, spinach is a great food to give because of its high iron content. (I wish my guy would touch it!!)

I think the most important thing; and this was mentioned before, is to be patient. My little guy LOVES peas, and a bit of corn, but he barely touches carrots, apples and the broccoli I offered today. But, I'll keep trying, and hopefully he'll start seeing how great they taste!